Retail: The road to recovery will be long

A hint of normality amid long road to recovery

As I write this on 21 June, today should have been freedom day where remaining road map restrictions were removed.

Unfortunately, due to the progression of the Delta variant, the Government have decided they need more time to study the impact on this rise in infections and give the vaccine programme a few more weeks to further minimise risk. It is disappointing but understandable.

I hope, that by the time this article goes to print, restrictions will have been finally removed or we’re very close to it.

With that uncertainty in the air, we decided it was too early to bring back the Touchwood beach.

It’s probably not the best idea to have hundreds of children all playing in the same giant sand box just yet, but that doesn’t mean the summer is a write-off and we’ve got a full programme of activities planned including outdoor crazy golf, trails around the centre, family friendly entertainment and blockbuster movie releases to look forward to.

Since reopening, Cineworld has been comfortably busy. They even ran out of popcorn over that first weekend such was the unexpected rush to see Peter Rabbit 2. A far cry from their reopening back in June of last year when a showing of Tenet felt more like an exclusive private cinema experience.

Thankfully this is another sign that life is starting to return to normal. We’ve been able to shop in nonessential stores for a couple of months now, dine in for a whole month and, fingers crossed, can return to

events, festivals and conferences in the weeks to come. It has felt liberating to be able to get back out, meet friends and family again, raise a glass and break bread. To get a bit of normal back. While we are slowly returning to some normality, the road to recovery is long. Retail Therapy The Government’s bill for supporting businesses through By Tony Elvin president of Solihull Chamber and general manager of Touchwood the pandemic is still growing and it is critical that this support continues. Right now that support is starting to diminish but hospitality and retail businesses are not ready to bounce back just yet. Capacity in venues is understandably still clipped, retail sales and footfall, whilst more buoyant than last year, are some way behind 2019 levels and, as we know, the industry is experiencing huge staffing shortages. The travel industry too is on the brink of disaster with a frustrating traffic light system and very little support from government. So, we must keep the life support on for a bit longer, helping these businesses return to profit whilst servicing the debt they are carrying from a very difficult year. That will mean more people in work and therefore more people spending. We can all help by shopping in shops and dining in restaurants. A holiday feels overdue so let’s book one of those when we can too. Getting back to a bit of normal can be the perfect tonic for our economy if we choose carefully where to spend it.

Retailers urge credit scheme extension

The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) is calling for an extension in the government’s trade credit reinsurance scheme.

Bira CEO Andrew Goodacre (pictured) said the removal of the scheme at the end of June could not come at a worse time for independent retailers.

BIRA said research of its members had confirmed that they remained concerned about the end of the scheme.

The scheme was introduced to cover those offering insurance on trade transactions, and was brought in during the coronavirus crisis when traders could no longer get this type of insurance. Mr Goodacre said: “Despite the claim that there is a positive economic outlook and no need for this scheme, we have to recognise that any recovery for the so-called ‘non-essential’ retailers is very fragile.

“Trade credit is crucial to retail, especially with footfall still 35 per cent below normal levels and restrictions still in place.

“Removal of this scheme at this moment in time is unnecessary.

“"Most retailers who have been closed for eight or nine months over the past year will now be submitting accounts showing losses and increased debt. The danger is that the insurers will assess this risk and reduce or even remove credit.

“We experienced this while the scheme was in place, and fear for the worst once the scheme is closed.

“Our research suggests that 50 per cent of our members agree with us. When businesses are trying to re-build their livelihoods, the last thing they need is loss of credit.”

Food giants unite for plastic project

Four of the UK’s biggest food companies, together with consumer goods giant Unilever, have joined forces in a new plastic recycling project.

The four are Mars UK, Nestlé, PepsiCo and Cadbury-owner Mondelez.

The £1m project – the Flexible Plastic Fund –is aimed at improving the recycling of plastic by making sure more of it is treated in this way, thus reducing pollution.

The Fund will guarantee a minimum value of £100 per tonne of recycled product to incentivise recyclers to process flexible plastic.

It thus hopes that the more plastic that is recycled, the more it will attract new investment and jobs to those involved.

Louise Stigant (pictured), Mondelez’s UK managing director, said: “Making our snacks sustainably and in the right way is at the heart of our purpose.

“Increasing the recyclability of our products and creating a circular economy so our packaging stays within the economy and not the environment is a priority for us.

“The Flexible Plastics Fund is an important step to ensuring packaging is collected, sorted and recycled in the UK.”

Mailbox to stage dragon boat race

Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital Charity is set to host its inaugural Dragon Boat Race at Mailbox on 25 September.

The race will see 23 boats compete against one another, with many of Birmingham’s biggest businesses set to take part.

Each team of 16 will participate in a series of 200m races, which will end with one of them being declared the overall winner.

Helen Miles, the charity’s corporate fundraising manager, said: “We’re so excited to be holding our first ever Dragon Boat race this year and thrilled that it will be staged in such an iconic Birmingham location.

“Mailbox provides the perfect backdrop and we can’t wait to see it filled with our fantastic supporters, rowing to raise vital funds for our patients.”

David Pardoe, head of retail, marketing and tenant engagement at the Mailbox, said: “We’re proud to be playing a part in fundraising for such a fantastic cause.”